Peter Kranz
Peter Kranz is a fictional main character in the film Downfall. He is a member of the Hitler Youth, drafted to the Defence of Berlin and was awarded by Hitler for his achievements. However, he abandons post often, returning to his Berliner parents on several occasions. Soon he deserts his post for good, helping other civilians escape execution and flee the city. After finding his parents dead in his apartment, he wandered and eventually meet Traudl Junge, where they leave the city together. Being a main character in Downfall, Peter stars in many parodies. Peter was played by the German actor Donevan Gunia. In Downfall Peter Kranz is the son of Wilhelm Kranz and Dorothee Kranz. Peter, like many kids of his age were recruited in the Hitler Youth. He was positioned at a flak gun nest along with other kids of his age commanded by a HJ lieutenant. When Wilhelm, his father, came to take him home, he protested. The HJ lieutenant tells him he should be proud of him, as he had destroyed two tanks and the Führer will decorate him that day. After Wilhelm has a brief exchange of words with the HJ lieutenant and the rest of the group, Peter angrily runs away, calling him a coward. In the next scene, Hitler and the rest of his staff is seen coming out of the bunker. Kranz is seen running, and joins the HJ group. Another HJ soldier asks him where he was and Peter tells him it's none of his business. Hitler then starts shaking their hands. When he sees Peter, the HJ group leader, Artur Axmann, tells him that the boy destroyed two tanks and calls him by his name. Hitler is pleased and pinches his cheek in a paternal manner and tell him he'd wish his generals were as brave as him. Peter has no reaction. He returns home, only to hear his father shouting to his mother and calling Hitler insane. Peter calls him a coward and runs away again. Wilhelm tries to stop him. During the night, Peter takes shelter in an abandoned building, along with other people. His parents are there too. He gives them some bread and says that he must go. Wilhelm tries to stop him, but a soldier tells him to stop it but he refuses. Another soldier nearby stops the conflict by grabbing the angry soldier and taking him outside, telling him to look for water. Peter runs away. Later that night, Peter is seen running through the war zone. Two artillery shells fell very close to him, but he ducks just in time. He stumbles into Inge's corpse and desperately tries to wake her. He hears some Russians soldiers approaching the flak gun nest. Seeing a gun, he grabs it and dashes away, dodging the Russian's fire. He takes cover from the pursuing Russian soldiers in a damaged barber shop. A Russian soldier stumbles into him, telling him to give him the gun, that he doesn't fight against children. Peter gets scared and shoots the soldier who falls on the ground and begins to curse. Peter drops the gun and runs away. He later falls in a trench and begins to cry. He later wakes up and runs away. He is later seen walking on a street covered in smoke and fog, where he sees a woman with a gas mask driving a baby stroller. He returns home, with his father waiting for him on the stairs. He is later seen in the bed. His mother, Dorothee, tells Wilhelm, that he has a fever. He comforts her, saying that at least he's alive. Later, he is seen with a few kids guiding a group of elders, that were about to be hung, to safety. After Weidling ordered a ceasefire, Peter is seen running towards his house. When he is about to enter, he sees a man with a rope exiting. When he enters inside, he sees both of his parents dead. When Traudl was trying to escape the Soviet encirclement, he encounters her, grabs her hand and guides her out of the encirclement. Later, he finds a bicycle near the ruins of a bridge. He and Traudl ride away from Berlin on it. Significance Peter is the metaphorization of the Youth soldiers who was drafted into the Defence of Berlin, along with the Volkssturm and the Wehrmacht (SS followed Himmler to the north of Germany), and also of the commoner Berliners. In the parodies He appears in several Downfall parodies. The most known scene is the one where he is awarded by Hitler. In one parody, he is being awarded for throwing a water bottle at Justin Bieber by SSHimmlerHeinrich. The other one is the AA-gun nest scene. Here, he runs away every time the old guy says something, in objection, making him a little Jodl. This is most visible in WonkyTonkBotty's series Hitler's Message To Kids. He also appeared in notoriousrob01's series Poor Little Peter. Trivia *Just like the rest of his family, Tellermann, and Stehr, Peter is a fictional character in the Downfall movie. *He is heavily based on real-life boy Alfred Czech, who just like Peter, received the Iron Cross First Class on 20th april 1945. *He is supposed to be a metaphorisation of the Youth soldiers. **This is more visible during the decoration scene and in the movie's ending. *Many of his scenes were cut from the theatrical version. They appear in the extended version, however: **The scene where he returns home to find his father shouting. **The scene where he finds his parents in the abandoned building. **The scene where he shoots the Soviet soldier. **When he falls in the bomb crater, he begins to cry. **The scene where he walks in the foggy street. Gallery First_time_seeing_Peter.jpg|The first time we see Peter in the film Youth Award Peter.jpg|Peter with other HJ soldiers Peter Kranz looks scared.jpg|Peter Kranz looks at the dead soldier. Battle Scene Peter.jpg|Peter glancing at the advancing Soviets. Peter Shoots The Russian.png|Peter's Kill Shot Peter Watches Weidling Order Ceasefire.jpg|Peter watches and hears Weidling's news Peter finds his father hanged.jpg|Peter finds his father hanged by the traitors Peter and Traudl.png|Peter's girl: 10/10 dgu-der_untergang_70.jpg|Peter pondering a way to leave Berlin. Peter Kranz.jpg|Fanart of Peter Kranz. RealPeterKranz.png|The Hitler Youth soldier whom Peter Kranz was based off Alfred-Czech-Eisernes-Kreuz-II-klasse-Iron-Cross-2-class-199x300.jpg|Alfred Czech, the child who was likely based off to Peter Kranz....... External links *Hitler finds and congratuates the water bottle thrower *Hitler's Message to Kids: Don't do drugs Category:Downfall Characters Category:Males Category:Fictional characters Category:Ranters Category:Major Characters Category:Principal Downfall Characters Category:Children